Screen Rant

I have no issue with fan service, but Doctor Who may have gone too far now. I'm honestly astonished, and I so confidently claimed that Billie Piper would never be cast as the Doctor, but alas, I'm wrong. I feel that the fandom took far too long to get over Rose Tyler, who was overhyped in my opinion anyway, and Billie's casting just fuels the Doctor/Rose love story even more. There are loads of legendary companions who are arguably the most important to the Doctor, and I can't understand why it always has to come back to Rose. 

At Netflix's TUDUM 2025 event, some of the cast of Stranger Things came on stage to show fans some of their favorite clips from throughout the years, as well as announce the release dates for the parts of Season 5. It was crazy to see just how young they all were when this first started, and fun to take a walk down memory lane. The release dates are pretty close together, essentially surrounding the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. This is brilliant because it means that people are off of work and school and will have the time to invest in binging all three parts. When I saw that part 2 was releasing on Christmas, I thought for a second that the finale might not squeeze into this year, but Netflix was able to set it to release on New Year's Eve, so it just barely makes it. This is a brilliant way of making it not feel too long for fans, because even that one day change, making it 2026, makes it feel infinitely longer until we see the end of an era.

Netflix's TUDUM 2025 this past weekend revealed a lot of exciting information. We saw a bunch of trailers and finally got some highly anticipated release dates. Not to mention, a whole lot of talented people showed up in the same room to promote their respective projects. While I cannot wait for Squid Game Season 3, and I am eagerly awaiting the end of Stranger Things (I hope no one else dies, although I am sure that is wishful thinking), it is One Piece Season 2 that has me the most excited because of one character - Tony Tony Chopper. I love Chopper and after the look we got of him in action, it is clear that he is going to translate to live-action beautifully.

When the Rani revealed she was trying to bring Omega back in Doctor Who's "Wish World," I was intrigued and excited. However, I was disappointed with Omega's role in "The Reality War." He was barely seen on-screen, had a couple of lines, and then just ate the new Rani in one bite before being forced back into his tomb. I'm glad Omega finally got a chance to appear in the modern era of Doctor Who, but for such a major villain, his return was anticlimactic.

Guillermo del Toro ittedly has been obsessed with the story of Frankenstein for some time, so for him to finally be able to channel his ion into a movie telling that story is extremely exciting as a big fan of his. He is a visionary master, there is no doubt about that. I know that he is going to nail this movie already, but after watching the teaser that was released during TUDUM, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. I truly cannot wait. From the casting choices, to the aesthetic, this one will be great. I just know it.

I love Doctor Who, but I'm a little annoyed with it. Many of us have been waiting for Carole Ann Ford to return as Susan in the modern era, but she never made a proper appearance in the season 15 finale, except in the repeat of the flashback on John Smith's TV. I think she was supposed to play a bigger part in it, but I assume things were changed for some reason. It's gutting, honestly, and I don't think we'll ever get a proper Susan return now.

I'm not the biggest Mamma Mia! fan in the world, but I do enjoy the movies and like that they have this sort of unique identity through their ABBA songs. Sabrina Carpenter could be an excellent lead. I think her music is great, and I'd be excited to see her dip into movies. That said, I hope the music will still maintain the identity of sounding more like ABBA and classic Mamma Mia! than a Sabrina Carpenter album.

I really loved the first two seasons of The Flash when I was a teenager, but after season 3's finale, I could hardly stomach the show anymore. I'm not sure if I just reached the age where I was beginning to outgrow it or if the quality actually dipped as much as it felt like, but I began to realize how redundant and formulaic the show was. I watched some of season 4 before quitting for good.

I think I'm one of the few people who don't necessarily hate Clair despite the problems with her character. She undoubtedly could use a bit more characterization of her own, but I think the primary aspect the show is trying to illustrate bout this person is that she's emotionally available and very good for Carmy, yet he isn't ready for her. Even if she's not around much in season 4, I think him eventually working his way back to her (or not) could be a powerful arc for him. 

While Superman merch and toys are starting to hit shelves, I can't help but notice the major lack of LEGO sets. This is pretty surprising, especially considering that LEGO does have a DC license. Maybe they're waiting to see if the movie is a success before they green light sets? Either way, I'm bummed there's not a "Superman Meet the Justice Gang" set or "Superman vs Ultraman". Likewise, a Superman/Kaiju model would have been awesome.

Marvel and DC Comics are ing forces later this year for two Marvel/DC crossover issues starring Batman and Deadpool. Coming from Zeb Wells and Grant Morrison, these two issues should be incredibly fun, though backup stories with other pairings have been teased as well. I'd love to see Superman and Spider-Man, connecting to some of the very first Marvel/DC crossovers from way back. Howver, I think Doctor Doom and Lex Luthor would be very cool too.

The Penguin's showrunner Lauren LeFranc recently confirmed that other The Batman spin-off shows are in the early stages of development. With that in mind, I'd love to see a series about Harvery Dent and his evolution into Two-Face. That said, it would also be nice to finally see a GD series with Jim Gordon get off the ground.

While you can't go wrong with a classic option like Darth Vader, I think my all-time favorite dark side character is Darth Maul. The complexity of his journey is quite impres,sive thanks to his survival into the Clone Wars and beyond. Revan is a great option too, though my favorite non-canon Legends pick is Starkiller, Vader's secret apprentice.

I've been reading fantasy for years while waiting for The Winds of Winter, and Joe Abercrombie's The First Law is one I can vouch for. It's certainly the most common tonal comparison to A Song of Ice & Fire. Otherwise, I've recently started reading Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, and while I can't speak to the quality of the whole series, what I've read so far bears a remarkable resemblance to how George R.R. Martin's writing reads. This series was one of Martin's original inspirations for ASOIAF.

Of the three Deadpool movies, I still maintain that the first was the best, and that Tim Miller is the most talented director to have embraced the character. He recently expressed his interest in directing an MCU X-Men film, and I have mixed feelings about the idea. I'd love to see Marvel's version of X-Men take a more serious, dark tone than previous MCU movies, and I'm not sure if he's really right for it.

This Justice Gang is set to debut in the DCU with James Gunn's Superman. Currently, the known team consists of Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner's Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. While I feel as though most people might say Nathan Fillion's Guy will be the breakout start, I have a feeling that people are going to be loving Isabella Merced's Hawkgirl just a bit more as the biggest fan-favorite.

I have really enjoyed Doctor Who season 15, and I love the show in general. I can't believe I'm saying this, and hear me out, but I think it could be time for the show to take a little break. Over recent years, so much has happened both on-screen and behind-the-scenes. From the Timeless Child to Disney getting involved with Doctor Who, it's been wild. However, I think the show could benefit from taking even a year off the air to reevaluate itself, especially as it has been non-stop since its return in 2005.

As much as I'd love to see more Infinity Saga characters returning, and I'm always happy to see Karen Gillan on screen, I feel like her character was always sort of adjacent to Thanos and Gamora. In that sense, I don't really feel like I have much of an idea of what she'd do in a new Avengers movie aside from appearing for a cameo. On the other hand, that might be precisely the reason to bring her on board.

While Rise of Skywalker did have "Evil Rey" wielding a doubled-bladed red lightsaber with a hinge feature, doubled-bladed sabers aren't exclusive to dark side s. Likewise, original scripts and concept art for Colin Trevorrow's Episode IX did see Rey with a double-bladed blue saber. I think this would have been extremely cool, and would have made perfect sense considering her prior still with her Jakku staff.

Although it was recently reported that Marvel Studios won't be at Hall H this year at SDCC, they'll reportedly still have a presence at the event. With that in mind, I'm willing to best we'll still see some cool Marvel television announcements, perhaps even some new shows or confirmed new seasons.